This conference is a collaborative effort between the Medical University of South Carolina and the Academy of Operative Dentistry. Its purpose is to convene leading authorities on restorative, as well as non-restorative, alternatives for carious lesion management. They will consider our current knowledge of dental process, its prevention and control, and the restoration of its effects. The traditional dental model for managing dental caries includes excavation of the carious tooth structure followed by "restoration" with dental amalgam. Recently, alternative models have been proposed. Caries is now viewed as an infectious disease process; a medical model of treatment has been advocated; and non-restorative approaches, such as remineralization, prevention, Biomimetics, and tissue engineering are being explored. However, these are poorly understood by a large portion of the dental profession. Alternatives to the traditional restorative approach with amalgam need to be studied and communicated to professional practitioners. Therefore, this conference will: 1) assess current knowledge of caries disease and its treatment; 2) identify obstacles to advancement and translation of current knowledge into practice; 3) define ways to improve the practice of dentistry relating to prevention, control, and treatment of caries; 4) define ways to improve the education of dental practitioners and researchers in these regards; 5) articulate important research questions that will advance our knowledge; 6) identify ways that under served populations can benefit from new approaches; and 7) present practical restorative alternatives to dental amalgam which minimize destruction and optimize preservation of hard tissues. The conference will be held in Charleston, SC, in September, 2000. Subjects range from alternative materials to biomimetics and tissue engineering. The papers presented will be published as a monograph in the Journal of Operative Dentistry. Professionals attending will include dental educators, scientists, and clinical practitioners. The number of expected registrants was not included in the description of the conference.